


Domino Effect

by Ellidiotts



Series: Rare-Pair One-Shots [4]
Category: Quantum Break (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bad ending Au, End of the World, Feelings, M/M, Rare Pairings, Rough Sex, The time egg is fucked, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:14:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26338597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ellidiotts/pseuds/Ellidiotts
Summary: Jack had failed.Paul was right.Time wasfucked.
Relationships: Jack Joyce/Paul Serene
Series: Rare-Pair One-Shots [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2115096
Comments: 2
Kudos: 52





	1. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack is reunited with an old friend.

Jack awoke with a gasp. 

His eyes darted around him-- finding himself encompassed by nothing but silence; hearing only the sound of his own breath. He got back on his feet cautiously, unsure if he was in danger. From what he could tell, he was still in the pool hall-- not too far from the time machine.

No one else in sight. 

What… what  _ happened _ ? 

He paused, pinching his brow, attempting to focus as best he could. It was another moment before everything came rushing back to him in an instant.

He’d killed Paul. He’d helped Will enable the countermeasure, and fixed the fracture. But something wasn’t right. If they _ did _ fix the fracture, then why was everything so…  _ quiet? _

Jack was frozen on the spot, eyes wide, mouth going dry; as he stared into the unmoving, colourless world that surrounded him. 

They’d failed.

Time… it no longer existed. 

Such a concept had been shattered by the fracture, leaving him conscious in a world that no longer held life. He finally understood-- what it was that Paul had seen, what Beth had seen-- when they were thrown into the future, and witnessed  _ this _ \--

_ The end of time.  _

The empty, barren world, filled with nothing but despair and hopelessness. 

It changed them. He could feel it too. That same soul-crushing concept, crawling into his mind, bending his understanding of reality.

Jack tried to move, to shake his head-- it was all too much to take in at once. This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be true. It just--

There  _ had _ to be a way out. He could still fix this. How had he failed? How could time have become so…  _ fucked? _

Which led him to wonder; if the fracture had ended time, then why was he here? Where was his brother? Both of them were at the centre of the event, so surely he couldn’t be far.

“Will?” He called into the empty void, a quiet echo replying to him. “Will, where are you?”

With the lack of reply, he rushed over to the main console of the time machine, trying in vain to change the date, to power up the machine once more-- to get  _ any  _ kind of response. Even after he tried every option, nothing worked.

Jack’s mind flashed back to those final moments before the explosion-- of what he could comprehend. Will had the countermeasure-- Paul had been there, too. Jack… he killed him. He killed the man he once considered his closest friend.

Paul had died by his hands.

How did it get to this? Where had everything gone so wrong? He didn’t want to do this. He didn’t want to fight. He didn’t want anyone to die. 

Regardless of his actions, it had led him here. He was alone. Will was nowhere to be found. Neither was Paul. 

Jack fell to his knees, his hands shooting up to the sides of his head as he was overcome with unbearable pain. The world flickered around him, a pulse emerging from the centre of the time machine. 

It knocked him off balance, collapsing on his side. A shuffling sound caught his attention, eyes wide, searching the area around him. Nothing moved, only causing further panic to set in.

If Jack wasn’t alone, there was no telling if it was a friend or foe. He had to get up. He had to be ready.

He jumped into the empty pool, cautiously walking back to the centre of the machine. Something was moving, in a distorted mess of colours and shapes. Whatever it is, if it even had a consciousness, it was not reacting to Jack’s presence. 

Or so he thought.

He got too close, and recoiled in pain as something reached out to him, draining his power-- his  _ energy _ . He tried to get away, crawling, begging it to stop, and the world began to go dark.

Someone was standing over him, saying his name.

“Will…?” Jack asked hesitantly, desperately blinking in hopes that the world would clear. “What… happened?”

“Hey, take it easy…” Replied a voice that was most definitely  _ not _ his brother’s. “Didn’t mean to knock you out like that.”

Jack felt his heart leap into his throat as he realised who it was. He was tense, mind reeling-- there was no way this was happening. 

_ It wasn’t possible. _

He had to get away. He had to escape. He was in danger, but his body ached, refusing to respond to him. His limbs felt so heavy, not obeying him no matter how hard he tried.

_ He killed Paul. _

_ Paul was dead. _

“Jack,” the man started, hand reaching for him. “It’s okay--”

“Get off me!” He yelled, pulling away.

“You need to calm down. There’s nothing we can do now, Jack,” Paul said dryly, taking a step back. “It’s over.”

Jack finally stared up at the man standing before him. It was without a doubt, the man he’d expected. But this was the new Paul-- the  _ aged _ Paul-- not the man he knew since they were young.

He’d  _ changed _ .

“No…” Jack replied. The reality of the death of time was putting him into shock, he could feel it. But he had to fight it. “I won’t give up.”

“I appreciate your enthusiasm. But I’ve been through this all before, Jack. I spent seventeen fucking _ years _ trying to find a solution.” Paul stretched out his arms, turning full circle, looking up at the world around them. “Now look at us.”

Jack bit his lip, frustration flaring inside of him. “You didn’t try hard enough.”

A flash of anger crossed Paul’s eyes, and for a moment, Jack was afraid he’d fucked up. But then something happened-- his expression changed almost instantly, to what he could only describe as sorrowful.

“Think that if you will.”

Jack wasn’t expecting Paul to leave him there by himself, but he did-- walking away into the next room of the building without another word, silence falling once more. He was stuck here, alone now-- nothing but his own thoughts of failure and regret weighing him down, draining him mentally.

What could he possibly do now in a world that no longer experienced time?


	2. Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack learns of Paul's tragic fate.

The worst part of this situation, Jack had decided, was the intense silence and stillness that had become of the world. It gave him nothing to do but think, which right now - here, by himself - was becoming dangerous territory for him to venture into alone.

Flashes of memories from that final day would play through his head, over and over, as if on a loop. Every decision he made, every path he took-- he couldn’t help but doubt everything he’d done. 

Had he made the right choice? Should he have trusted Paul instead, and initiated the Life-Boat protocol?

To think that now… all of this-- the end of time-- was entirely his fault.

Jack felt overwhelmed with emotions as the reality hit him all at once.

He felt so much  _ pain _ . He’d lost everything, including the two people closest to him. They were dead now, all because of the choices he made. The guilt was hanging so heavy on his shoulders, with such intensity-- only further fueling his self-hatred.

Jack had no idea how long he’d been sitting in the corner of the pool hall, arms holding his legs close to his chest, slowly rocking back at forth. He hadn’t said a word since Paul left, and Paul hadn’t made as much as a sound since then either.

It could’ve been an hour ago, or a week. He had no way of telling now.

Jack didn’t notice the tears running down his cheeks until he let out a sorrowful sound, vision clouding as he continued to break down. He was no longer in control of his own body-- hands pulling at his hair in frustration and anger-- at himself, at Paul-- at  _ everything _ .

He could feel himself, and his sanity, gradually slipping away.

But there was something else. He could feel it. There was someone by his side. Arms were around him, enveloping Jack in a warm embrace. He panicked, movements stilted, mind reeling back to the present as he attempted to make sense of it.

Jack’s eyes finally opened at the sound of his name.

It was Paul. Of course it was Paul. He was impossibly close, encroaching his personal space-- hands around Jack’s wrists so he couldn’t get away.

“Jack?” The older man asked, leaning in close. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”

He bit through the tears, unable to make eye contact. “Let me go--”

“No,” Paul interrupted, moving his hands to Jack’s shoulders. “I’m not leaving you.”

Panic was setting in. He couldn’t let Paul get under his skin.

“I can’t do this,” Jack cried, pulling from his grasp. “I can’t stay here.”

_ I can’t stay with you _ .

Jack no longer cared. He no longer had control of his emotions or his movements-- his feet taking him as far away as possible. All he could hear was his own ragged breaths and the drumming of his heartbeat in his ears.

“Wait-- it’s too dangerous!” Paul’s voice echoed behind him. “ _ Jack! _ ”

Jack finally stopped at the end of the alleyway. He had no idea where he was, or how far he’d travelled from the pool hall-- but nothing was recognisable. But then he saw something out of the corner of his eye, something moving. He quickly turned, but nothing was there - he couldn’t tell if it meant he was losing his mind, or if they really  _ weren’t _ the only ones left.

The thought was unsettling given the circumstances.

But then it was in front of Jack, a few metres in the distance. He could only describe it as a distorted mess, holding no real physical shape-- similar to what he’d seen at Monarch. Jack stilled, finding himself frozen to the spot in a mix of curiosity and fear-- unable to tell what it’s intentions were towards him.

Before he could even think, it moved again-- darting towards him at lighting speed. Jack turned around, feet heavy, but he was already captured in the creature’s grasp, feeling pain instantly as his energy was drained. He collapsed, using what little focus he could muster to put up a shield-- he just needed something to hold for now, until he could get back to--

Jack blinked. It was gone.

Paul had appeared to punch it in the face, even though it had a shifting physical form-- but somehow, it connected-- sending the distorted being into the distance. He winced, clutching at his hand with the other, and turning to Jack, eyes full of mixed emotions. 

“We have to go!” He ordered, surveilling the area as more appeared. “ _ Now! _ ”

The younger man stared at the creatures in disbelief. “What the  _ fuck _ are those things!?”

“Jack, focus!” Paul dragged him to his feet, never letting go, heading back in the direction they came from. “ _ Run! _ ”

The two of them ran as fast as they could, narrowly avoiding several encounters with the creatures close behind them. They worked together to drag closed the door to the pool hall, locking themselves safely back inside.

Jack was frozen, back leaning up against the door as he tried to catch his breath. He was still trying his hardest to process what he’d seen - but it was so very similar to that brief encounter he had the last time he saw Paul. That didn’t fill him with any confidence.

He had a slew of curse words and accusations ready to drop, all directed at his unexpected companion. But it wasn’t until Jack finally turned to look at Paul that he realised there was more to the situation than he’d first realised.

Paul barely took a breath before his legs gave out beneath him, arms struggling to keep him upright. Jack didn’t need a doctor to tell him that he looked like complete shit; gasping for air, forehead drenched in sweat, and cringing from what Jack could only assume was unseen pain, as he clawed at his sides.

Jack had to fight his caring nature to collapse next to Paul and ask him if he was okay. He had a decision to make: help a friend, or walk away from an enemy? He wasn’t entirely sure what Paul was to him now - the two of them were walking a fine line.

Unfortunately, Jack could never be so cold hearted as to leave Paul in such a state, regardless of their recent history. He was becoming more concerned by the minute. He’d never imagined Paul to look as vulnerable as he did right now.

Jack took a few shaking steps forward, crouching down by the older man. “What's wrong with you?” He asked softly.

“Chronon syndrome…” Paul paused for another breath. “From the exposure.”

“But I was there too.” Jack clarified. “How come it's not affecting me this way?”

“You’re different, Jack.” He captured the younger man’s gaze, eyes intense. “It only happened to you  _ once. _ ”

“Oh…” Jack breathed, shifting uncomfortably. “What should I--”

“It’ll pass.” Paul raised a hand, urging him to back off. “I’ll be fine in a minute.”

Jack complied immediately, rising up to his feet and taking a few steps back. He continued to watch with concern, feeling uncomfortable with how unsure he was of himself. He had no idea what to do or say, but he knew he hated seeing Paul in such a state.

Reaching the closest wall, Jack took a seat quietly, eyes drifting around their surroundings. It was still eerie being stuck in a place with such unnatural silence, causing his anxiety to act up.

“Will we be safe here?” Jack enquired, feeling uneasy. “Will they... get in?”

“We’re safe for now,” Paul grunted, pulling himself up into a sitting position. “Those  _ things… _ they feed off our energy. The chronons. The further away we are, the better.”

That didn’t make Jack feel any safer. “But…  _ what _ are they?”

“Victims of the chronon syndrome.” Paul pointed to the door separating them, that they had come through only moments ago. “What you just saw is the final stage.”

Jack’s eyebrows shot up with realisation. “But that means--”

“Yes, that’s what I am to become,” Paul interrupted, eyes softening. “Now that time has ended, I’m hoping the progression of the disease has also stalled. Still acts up occasionally, so we’ll have to wait and see.”

Jack didn’t want to admit it out loud, but he agreed with Paul. Even if it was  _ Paul _ that he was stuck here with, he’d fight to keep that over having no one else, for the sake of his own sanity. 

After everything Paul had done in that final day of time, Jack knew he should hate him. He  _ did _ hate Paul-- or at least, he tried to convince himself that he did. His feelings had shifted so much since their college years, and even just a day ago when they’d finally been reunited-- Jack had felt  _ something _ … A flutter in his chest, and ache in his heart-- a feeling he couldn’t hold on to, not after everything they’d been through together.

Jack was conflicted, but in order to keep Paul for company, he’d need to put aside their past, and focus on the present. It was his only option now.


	3. Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack is tormented by silence.

After their latest argument, which in general were far too frequent for his liking-- Jack stopped talking.

He didn’t mean to become so silent, but he felt as if he had nothing left to say. Everything that needed to be said had already been said. He didn’t want to say anything else that he’d regret-- and he didn’t want to admit that Paul was right, or that he was wrong. He didn’t want to fight about their mistakes in an endless cycle.

This entire situation was his fault, but much to his amazement, he never heard Paul complain.

Jack couldn’t stop himself sitting in the corner of the time machine, staring at the centrepiece; thinking about each and every event of those final twenty-four hours, over, and over, and over again-- 

What happened, what he could have done differently, and what he  _ should _ have done differently--

How could he have fucked up this badly?

Now he was stuck here, alone, with someone who he still wasn’t convinced if they were his friend or enemy; ensuring he never let his guard down, just to be safe.

Jack tensed as he heard quiet echoes of footsteps bouncing off the walls around him. Paul approached cautiously, gradually stopping a few metres from where Jack was sitting. 

He didn’t bother to move, or to look at the other man-- finding he still had nothing worth saying. Instead, he continued to focus on the spot of the floor in front of him, hands crossed on his lap.

“Jack…” Paul started, pausing a moment, as if he was waiting for a reply. “Say something.”

The younger man felt his voice caught in his throat, an excess of emotions threatening to tumble out at once, yet no words would escape. He was sad, and angry, and  _ tired _ \-- he wanted this to end, he wanted to hear the sounds of the world around him-- he wanted to go  _ home. _

As silent as it was outside, his mind was anything but. 

“Talk to me,  _ please, _ ” Jack practically begged, wishing the silence to end. “About  _ anything _ . Just talk to me. It’s too quiet.”

“Okay,” Paul agreed, taking a step forward. He dropped to the ground, at the same level as Jack, remaining an arm length away. 

A beat passed between them, then another-- before the older man stared into his eyes, legs crossed, fingers intertwined.

“Sometimes, all things considered... I wondered why it had to be your brother. I would have much preferred you, Jack,” Paul said, and Jack could practically feel his genuineness through his smile. “The best thing Will ever did was introduce you to me. For that, I’ll never have the chance to tell him how truly grateful I am, even to this day.”

Jack huffed, but didn’t respond to his words-- feeling as if this was Paul’s way of trying to get under his skin again. He knew his brother could be a handful, but Jack always felt that he was the smart one. Jack had always just been…  _ Jack _ .

“I missed you during your years abroad, you know. I tried to deny it for so long,” Paul started, now looking away. “But I remember that day at the university, when you helped me test the time machine, before it all went to shit...” He trailed off, appearing lost in thought.

Jack blinked, slowly turning to the older man with a furrowed brow. “That was… yesterday,” he pointed out, shiver running down his back.

“For you, yes. For me, that was  _ seventeen years _ , Jack, perhaps even longer,” he stated, taking a moment to reminisce. “My memories aren’t quite what they used to be, but I’ve had a lot of time to reflect. As soon as I saw you again, I knew I’d been wrong about you all this time.”

“What do you mean by that, exactly?” Jack asked cautiously, instantly feeling that he’d regret the question later.

Paul chuckled, shoulders relaxing. “I don’t think you’re quite ready for that conversation just yet,” he replied with a brief sigh. “You... look at me as if I’m someone entirely different now.”

Jack felt himself tense at his words, hands balling into fists in his lap. “That’s because you  _ are _ someone else,” Jack replied bitterly. “I don’t recognise you at all, this person you’ve become-- I don’t like it.”

“Are you sure about that, Jack?” Paul smirked, raising an eyebrow. “It’s only been a couple decades. Don’t you think I’ve aged rather  _ gracefully? _ ” 

Jack tore his eyes away, trying not to think too much about just how  _ different _ Paul looked after his travel through time. He was right, he _ did _ look good. Gone was the young, skinny nerd he’d grown up with, replaced by-- _ this _ . His grey-touched hair suited him, and he’d become ridiculously fit, and filled out--

“I’ll take that as a  _ yes _ ,” Paul added, chuckling softly at the lack of response.

Jack scowled, mouth going dry. “That’s not what I meant when I said I don’t recognise you,” he clarified through a shaking breath, trying his best to hide his flushed cheeks.

“I know, Jack,” Paul replied with a smile. “I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Paul... why do you torment Jack is such a way?


	4. Grief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack deals with the regret of losing those he loved.

Somehow, as their timeless existence continued on-- Paul had slowly crept closer to Jack as their conversation endured. He tried not to notice, but the warmth was comforting. He tried to listen to the older man’s words, but his eyes would wander. Paul’s expression was surprisingly peaceful, cheery even, as he continued to ramble. Maybe he was just trying to keep Jack from doing something stupid again. Wouldn’t surprise him if those were his intentions all along.

“You remember that vagrant we happened upon, back when we were teenagers?” Paul asked, leaning back against the wall. He was so close to Jack - now only an arm’s length away.

Jack’s mind briefly flashed to the day in question. They were barely twelve years old. Still kids, hanging out and causing trouble like they always did. Then the next thing they knew, there was a dead body falling from the sky, landing mere feet before them. 

He never forgot the sound it made as it collided with the pavement.

“Like I could forget,” Jack shivered, arms wrapping around his legs. “That kind of shit sticks with you.”

Paul hummed, expression hard to read. “That was the first thing I tried to change, when I arrived in the past. Before I truly understood the nature of time… and how  _ fixed _ it was.”

Jack felt an ounce of dread in the pit of his stomach, eager now to hear the ending to the story. There must be more to it.

“What happened?” He replied after a brief hesitation.

“I went to the roof. I tried to talk him down. But my presence-- it startled him,” Paul met his eyes, piercing as always. “He fell. Same as before.”

Jack swallowed the lump in his throat as the words sunk in. Paul was so intense when he spoke, and Jack had no idea what to say in response, mouth hanging open a moment longer before clicking shut.

“Anything I try to change... just triggers the same event.” The older man turned away, facing forward, eyes staring into the distance. “We keep seeing that body because we were  _ meant _ to.”

Jack felt his mouth go dry. “That’s… that’s so  _ fucked _ .” He was fumbling his words, but he had no idea what else to say to such a concept.

“To put it into fewer words-- yes.” Paul shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s fucked.”

* * *

Jack’s habit of letting his thoughts and feelings consume him was doing nothing more than making him hurt, and in turn, hurting the one closest to him. But he couldn’t help himself-- every time he needed someone to blame, it came back to Paul-- he’d become conditioned to amplify all his negative thoughts and anger towards the man he once considered his friend.

Paul let this happen. He dragged Jack down with him, when they could have fixed the fracture together. Yet it was more than that-- this anger, no matter how hard he tried to divert it-- eventually, it came back to Jack, and his own failings leading him here.

Jack felt betrayed. He couldn’t see Paul as anyone other than a villain, practically ingrained in his mind now. He didn’t want to fight, he didn’t want to feel such emotions-- but his mouth would move on it’s own sometimes, and Jack would find himself in endless confrontations.

“I told you time and time again, Jack,” Paul chided, keeping a safe distance from the younger man. “There was no way to fix the fracture.”

Jack clenched his jaw. It sounded like a poor man’s  _ I told you so.  _ He wasn’t going to fall for it this time.

“Even if you’re right, I wouldn’t have stopped,” Jack finally admitted, standing his ground. “I would have died trying.”

“But you didn’t,” Paul pointed out. He slowly began pacing around the younger man, eyes focussed in front of him. “I would wager this outcome to be  _ worse _ than death, would you not?”

Jack sneered, eyes following his movements. “This is all  _ your _ fault.”

“Of course it is,” Paul agreed sarcastically, as if arguing with a child. “ _ I _ was the one who had seen the future and knew this outcome was inevitable. I was  _ trying _ Jack, for a _ solution _ \-- you, me, Will and a handful of the greatest minds in the country could be  _ safe  _ right now, on the lifeboat,” he paused, taking a breath. “ _ You _ were the one who brought us here, Jack. Not me.”

Jack hated hearing it, but deep down, he knew Paul was right. He was filled with anger and grief-- and Jack knew he had only himself to blame, but he’d spent so long associating the feelings and condemning Paul, that he didn’t know how to feel about him at this point.

“You don't know that,” Jack replied, voice barely above a whisper.

Paul sighed beside him, but didn’t push him further. For that, Jack was grateful. But it left him with a new reality, and a complaint-- of all the people he could be stuck with right now, at the end of time… this was the last reality he would have cared for.

Even if it was his brother here, instead of Paul - even though he knew he’d do nothing but argue with his sibling - that would be a better fate than admitting the true feelings he held deep beneath his skin.

“Why is it just you?” Jack asked, not even attempting to hide his distaste. “Why do I have to be stuck here with  _ you?” _

“Only the two of us were close enough to the fracture for this to happen to us. The chronon syndrome is--”

“That’s not what I mean and you know it.”

Paul exhaled, attempting to remain level-headed. “Would you rather be stuck here with  _ Will _ ?”

Jack was instantly on edge, voice rising to a threat. “Don’t you  _ dare _ bring him up, you--”

“If your brother hadn’t tried to create a time machine in the first place, we wouldn’t be here.” Paul cut him off mid-sentence, and Jack was completely speechless at his tone. “None of this would have occurred. We’d be safe, and happy - living in the reality that’s now no more than a memory.”

Jack’s entire body was tense, eyes wide and unblinking. Paul was right. Fuck. Why was he  _ always _ right? 

It wasn’t fair.

* * *

Jack needed time to himself. He needed to think-- to reflect. But not on his failings, not on Paul-- he had yet to even wrap his head around their current situation, and if he was entirely honest with himself, Jack had no idea what he was doing.

Paul was all he had now. It was a reality he needed to accept.

As if on command, Jack heard the echoing footsteps of his old friend once again as the room was no longer silent. Jack was sitting by what was left of the time machine, on the edge of the pool-- legs dangling over the side, as he stared down at the empty contents below.

After a brief, wordless scuffle, the older man sat down next to him, keeping his usual distance. Jack knew before he spoke that he was either going to berate him for his choice of words, or attempt some kind of apology-- neither of which he was particularly interested in hearing. 

“Jack,” Paul whispered, body shifting around towards him. “I didn’t mean--”

“You’re right,” Jack interrupted; mind occupied by distant memories of his brother. “And you know Will, better than most. Once he gets his mind set on something… it’s the only thing he’ll focus on.”

He glanced at Paul; a person who was generally difficult to read, but now appeared to be at a loss for words. That was new.

“He’d hate to be stuck with me,” Jack added, imagining the fights they’d get into, and smirking at the thought. “He’d probably go insane with me around all the time.”

“He’s your brother.” Paul’s expression softened, his tone far more caring than it had been during their previous conversations. “He cares about you.”

“You say that, but…” Jack trailed off, a rather painful memory of his brother resurfacing. “We had a falling out, years ago, about the time machine and all the money he was spending… and he… he blames me for our parent’s death.”

He didn’t pull back when he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Jack, you  _ know _ that’s not true.”

“It might as well have been. Will said it was more insult to injury that I was the one put in charge of him afterwards. Me, at age ten, looking after my brother who was already in his twenties at that point…”

“I’m serious, Jack.” The sincerity in Paul’s voice was hard to ignore. “It wasn’t you. It was Beth.”

Jack’s mouth closed with an audible click. He took a moment to consider what he’d just heard, ensuring he didn’t somehow misinterpret it. There was no way he was talking about  _ his _ Beth.

“What the fuck are you talking about, Paul?” He asked suspiciously, eyes narrowing.

“She didn’t understand the flow of time and events. She tried to prevent the accident, when she went back in time. Instead, she caused it to happen.”

Jack was afraid to ask, but he couldn’t stop himself. “How do you know that?”

“We both arrived at the same year. When you saw me first go through the machine, she was there with me, at the end of time. She saw it too. Naturally, her first response was to shoot me, then follow me back to 1999 after I set the new coordinates.”

“So that’s how she ended up there…”

Paul knew what remained unsaid. They both did. Jack was there when he stole the countermeasure. Jack saw him murder Beth in cold blood. 

Jack felt so weak, being completely useless and unable to save her in those final moments. She didn’t deserve such a fate. He could feel his breath wavering, a question lingering on his mind, but scared to learn the answer.

“Why did you have to  _ kill _ her?” 

It didn’t matter to Jack if Paul regretted his actions or not. But that didn’t mean her death was necessary. He just needed to know  _ why _ .

“She was denying me of what I needed. Without the counter measure, we’d all be fucked,” Paul said, turning away with an almost mournful expression. “...You loved her, didn't you?”

Jack couldn’t respond. The loneliness and sorrow within his heart was unbearable, and he couldn’t decide whether he wanted to punch Paul as hard as he could, or pull him into a passionate embrace. He hated how on the fence he felt towards the other man, how his feelings continued to betray him--

But this was about Beth. She was dead. She didn’t  _ need  _ to die. But she did. All because of Paul-- and he knew  _ exactly _ how much his actions would have upset Jack, but he did it anyway, regardless of their now long-forgotten friendship. 

Jack tried to convince himself it was better this way, but he knew it was a lie.


	5. Reminiscence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack reminisces about happier times.

Even with the both of them being part of the unfolding events of the last twenty-four hours, there were so many unanswered questions in Jack’s mind. Something wasn’t adding up-- and it always led back to Paul.

Jack had found that there wasn’t much else to do now than talk. Or think, if he didn’t particularly feel like listening to Paul’s rambling. The man liked the sound of his own voice, that much was true. He might as well use it to his advantage.

“Why didn’t you come back to 2016?” Jack asked suddenly, begging for an end to the silence. “Why… live through all those years again?”

Paul cocked his head to the side, considering his response. “I needed time,” he replied simply. “Monarch had to be built to prepare for the survival of the human race, while I searched for a solution to the fracture.”

A  _ solution?  _ Now  _ that  _ he didn’t believe.

“But… you didn’t,” Jack said bluntly.

“That’s why we used the countermeasure for the Lifeboat Protocol instead.” Paul was silent for a moment, staring at the man beside him. “Jack-- don’t you know I tried to  _ fix _ the fracture? You’ve barely been in this game for a day, I had  _ years _ of time and research spent on finding a solution.” He broke eye contact, looking away with a pained expression. “Nothing worked. I had to plan for the inevitable.”

Shit.  _ Now  _ Jack understood. 

He was the one who made this happen. He was the bad guy, not Paul. 

“And I didn’t listen,” Jack muttered under his breath, brow furrowed. “I didn’t…”

“Jack.” The older man’s eyes were on him, arms itching to reach out and hold him. “This isn’t your fault.”

“Yes it is,” his breath caught in his throat, choking on air. “Oh,  _ fuck _ \--”

Paul practically materialised by his side, and it took Jack a moment to realise the warm hands on his shoulders, keeping him still, from hurting himself. He barely flinched as he was pulled into a gentle embrace, calm words being spoken to him softly in an attempt to calm him down.

Jack could no longer hear, all sounds drowning out as he stared helplessly over the other man’s shoulder. This was his fate now. This was what he’d made for himself-- for both of them.

For Paul-- the one and only person he was now stuck with, for the rest of existence.

Much to Jack’s surprise, he was beginning to be okay with that.

* * *

They found themselves sitting by the pool again, legs draped over the edge, shoulders touching causally at their closeness to one another. Jack had momentarily drifted off, now finding himself staring down to the emptiness beneath him, rocking his feet back and forth meaninglessly. 

Since their earlier encounter, Jack could feel something between them shift, as if they were no longer the men they’d become at the end of time-- and were now back to their teenage selves, joking and having the time of their lives.

Almost as if the last few days never happened.  _ Almost. _

“You were always such a bad influence on me,” Paul chuckled suddenly, glancing briefly to the younger man. “Back when we were kids.”

“Name  _ one _ thing--” Jack requested, rolling his eyes. He sat up straight, stretching out his back with a yawn. “If I recall correctly,  _ I _ was the one with the criminal record.”

Paul laughed, raising his hand with his finger pointing upwards. “ _ Utah _ .”

“Shit,” Jack chuckled, smiling for the first time in what felt like an eternity. “Nearly forgot about that.”

“I didn’t,” Paul replied, reaching for something in his jacket. After a moment of consideration, he passed it to Jack.

Jack stared at the photograph with wide eyes. It was old, bent in multiple places, and worn around the edges. But it was rather nostalgic to Jack-- it was just the two of them, arms around each other, in the middle of a field, holding a ram statue that they’d just stolen from a local police station.

“Hell of a road trip, that was.”

Jack couldn’t believe that Paul had been holding on to it the entire time. “Why do you still have this?” he asked, handing it back.

There was a beat, as Paul considered his question for a moment.

“Sometimes... it can be hard to focus on the good when there’s so much shit around you. Helps with my memory. Just a little... reminder. ”

Jack narrowed his eyes. “Of  _ what? _ ”

There was a certain unsaid longing in the older man’s eyes. “Choices I should have made differently,” he replied softly, as if there was more meaning than he was letting on.

Jack wasn’t sure what he was talking about, but that was how Paul was these days. It was as if he was talking to a goddamn fortune cookie half the time.

“We had a lot of fun together, didn’t we?” He added, a smile tugging at his lips.

“Yeah, we did. Now look at us…” The younger man huddled in on himself, wrapping his arms around his legs. “We’re stuck here, forever, all because of me.”

“You can’t let this get to you Jack.” A hand on his shoulder was surprisingly gentle, as he melted to the familiar touch. “This may be how the world is now, but you’re not alone. I’ve had a long time to come to terms with this possibility, but you’ve been a part of this for only a day. It’ll take time.”

The irony in that last statement made him nauseous.

But Paul persisted; helping him through the pain and guilt by reminiscing with tales of their younger years together. There were too many times to count when they’d done something stupid together and gotten into trouble with the law; but it it reminded Jack of was his unbearable and hopeless crush he’d had on Paul at the time.

Even now, after everything-- he still felt the same. He hated his own heart sometimes, as if it was betraying him. He shouldn’t feel this way, not after what Paul had done, not after what the world had become. It only made his heart ache more.

It didn’t help that Paul had become ridiculously attractive in his aged state; the silver hairs and toned body doing nothing more than reawakening Jack’s long buried feelings. It was something he couldn’t dance around when it was only the two of them now. 

_ Fuck _ \-- he couldn’t understand why he had such a ridiculous thing for older men. This situation was going to drive him insane. There was no way he could keep these feelings hidden forever, but he had no choice. If they were going to rely on each other from now on, the last thing he wanted was to fuck everything up, and be left alone with nothing but his own regrets and empty thoughts.

Jack was so deep in contemplation that he didn’t even notice he was leaning against Paul again, head on his shoulder, exhausted and finding himself drifting off once more to their memories of simpler times. He melted into the comfort of the older man as he felt an arm snake around his waist, pulling him in a little closer.

Without another care in the world, Jack decided that he could worry himself with the conflict in his heart another time.


End file.
